{"id":1483,"date":"2026-06-25T23:02:46","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T23:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/2026\/06\/25\/world-cup-2026-more-mena-countries-competing-than-ever-before\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T23:02:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T23:02:46","slug":"world-cup-2026-more-mena-countries-competing-than-ever-before","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=1483","title":{"rendered":"World Cup 2026: More MENA countries competing than ever before"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"t-content t-content--edition\" id=\"main-content\">\n<div class=\"t-content__with-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"t-content__beside-sidebar\" data-article-content>\n<h1 class=\"t-content__title a-page-title\">World Cup 2026: More MENA countries competing than ever before<\/h1>\n<div class=\"m-master-tag\">\n<div class=\"a-tag-section\">\n                                    Middle East\n                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-video-player o-video-player--16x9 t-content__main-media \" data-media-video-48fdebbc-2584-4837-9ce6-f41a6b5c9eac data-show-hidden-video-player=\"48FDEBBC-2584-4837-9CE6-F41A6B5C9EAC\" data-wrapper-video-player data-autoplay-video-link data-youtube-script>\n<div class=\"o-em-consent \">\n<div class=\"o-em-consent__content\">\n<p class=\"o-em-consent__content__text\">To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.<\/p>\n<p>        <button class=\"a-master-button a-master-button--dark\" data-action=\"accept\"><br \/>\n            Accept<\/p>\n<p>        <\/button><br \/>\n        <button class=\"a-link\" data-action=\"manage\">Manage my choices                <\/p>\n<p><\/button>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o-em-adblock\" data-adblock-content>\n<div class=\"o-em-adblock__content\">\n<p class=\"o-em-adblock__content__text\">One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.<\/p>\n<p>            <button class=\"a-master-button a-master-button--dark\" data-action=\"reload\">Try again<\/button>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--16x9 m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/b9bee17e-70a5-11f1-8456-005056bfb2b6\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/capture-3438189126a3d4112c83d31-96293250.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/b9bee17e-70a5-11f1-8456-005056bfb2b6\/w:388\/p:16x9\/capture-3438189126a3d4112c83d31-96293250.jpg 388w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/b9bee17e-70a5-11f1-8456-005056bfb2b6\/w:720\/p:16x9\/capture-3438189126a3d4112c83d31-96293250.jpg 720w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/b9bee17e-70a5-11f1-8456-005056bfb2b6\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/capture-3438189126a3d4112c83d31-96293250.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1076px) 100vw, 1012px\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt=\"MIDDLE EAST MATTERS\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n    Cover image:            MIDDLE EAST MATTERS        \u00a9 FRANCE 24    <\/figcaption><div class=\"m-item-image__overlay-wrapper\">\n                <button class=\"m-main-media-btn\" aria-label=\"World Cup 2026: More MENA countries competing than ever before: Play the video\"><br \/>\n    <span class=\"m-main-media-btn__picto\"><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-circle-loader\">\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><br \/>\n<time class=\"a-media-time\">15:40<\/time>                <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-hidden-video-player=\"48FDEBBC-2584-4837-9CE6-F41A6B5C9EAC\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__metadata\">\n<div class=\"t-content__dates\">\n<p class=\"m-pub-dates\"><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Issued on: <time datetime=\"2026-06-25T15:00:20+00:00\">25\/06\/2026 &#8211; 17:00<\/time><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__video-duration\">\n<p>                            15:40 min\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a-share-button\" data-root-share>\n<p>                            <span class=\"a-master-button__label\">Share<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/tv-shows\/middle-east-matters\/\" class=\"t-content__program m-program\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-program__label\">From the show<\/div>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/8a38b410-0f33-11ee-93bc-005056a90321\/EN-middle-east-matters.svg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/8a38b410-0f33-11ee-93bc-005056a90321\/EN-middle-east-matters.svg\" alt=\"Middle East Matters\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img  a-img--svg\"><\/p>\n<p>                    <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"t-content__reading-time a-reading-time\">\n<p>                        <span class=\"t-content__reading-time__label\">Reading time<\/span><br \/>\n                        1 min<\/div>\n<p class=\"t-content__chapo\">\n                                        More Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries are competing in the 2026 World Cup than at any previous tournament, much to the delight of fans from Morocco to Jordan.\u00a0But as always with sports, politics is never far from the pitch. Iran, of course, springs to mind. Never before has a country hosted a World Cup while at war with one of the competing nations.                <\/p>\n<div class=\"t-content__body u-clearfix\">\n<p>Beyond Iran, what of sportswashing\u00a0\u2013 countries pouring money into football in a bid to launder their image on the world stage?\u00a0That&#8217;s an allegation directed at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/qatar\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Qatar<\/a>, which hosted the last <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/world-cup\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">World Cup<\/a>, but also at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/saudi-arabia\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Saudi Arabia<\/a>, which will play host to the 2030 tournament.<\/p>\n<p>For more, we speak to sports journalist Ruben Slagter.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__authors\">\n<div class=\"m-from-author\">\n                    <span class=\"m-from-author__by-label\"><br \/>\n                By:<br \/>\n            <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-author m-author--small m-author--has-image\">\n<div class=\"m-author__image\">\n                                                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/rachael-griffiths\/\" title=\"Rachael Griffiths\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                Rachael Griffiths<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"m-author m-author--small m-author--has-image\">\n<div class=\"m-author__image\">\n                                                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/th%C3%A9ophile-vareille\/\" title=\"Th\u00e9ophile Vareille\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                Th\u00e9ophile Vareille<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"m-author m-author--small m-author--has-image\">\n<div class=\"m-author__image\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/2d582cba-4312-11f1-8d5c-005056bfb2b6\/w:388\/p:1x1\/avatar-Nadia-Massih.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/2d582cba-4312-11f1-8d5c-005056bfb2b6\/w:177\/p:1x1\/avatar-Nadia-Massih.png 177w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/2d582cba-4312-11f1-8d5c-005056bfb2b6\/w:388\/p:1x1\/avatar-Nadia-Massih.png 388w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 639px) 100px, 170px\" width=\"388\" height=\"388\" alt=\"Nadia Massih\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"a-img \"><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/nadia-massih\/\" title=\"Nadia MASSIH\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                Nadia MASSIH<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"o-sidebar__aside\">\n<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--box o-ad-container--with-shimmer\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__tags t-content__below-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"m-section-title m-section-title--small\">Related keywords<\/div>\n<ul class=\"m-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/world-cup-2026\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"World Cup 2026\">    World Cup 2026<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/football\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Football\">    Football<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/iran\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Iran\">    Iran<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>World Cup 2026: More MENA countries competing than ever before Middle East To display 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